Muddy
by InAllMyYears
Summary: Why is Mei covered in mud?


_**Hey guys! This is my first story ever, so please be gentle if you choose to review... Don't know how much my little heart can take! XD Just had an idea for this blurb, and I've floated around Fanfic for what feels like forever... decided to become an member and actually contribute! Let me know what you think!**_  
 _ **-InAllMyYears**_

In the peace of early morning, a predator crept through the forest. Nose, eyes, ears alert to any scent on the breeze, suspicious wave of undergrowth, or rustle of foliage that might spell certain doom for an unfortunate prey animal.

As a wolf, Gabu had no choice but to revert to this side of himself when faced with hunger. He thought his closest friend understood that at this point, but the residual animosity that lingered whenever his diet was brought up was inevitable. Mei did have the terrible luck, after all, of having been born as one of the many creatures on Gabu's list of "Yummy Things to Snack On".

So, in the hopes of avoiding a potentially uncomfortable situation, Gabu would leave their den before sunrise to hunt, while Mei slept on, blissfully unaware of his morning excursion to kill and devour.

He had fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who you asked) already captured a few smaller meals—namely a particularly fat mouse and a bird lazy with early worms—and could almost conclude his feasting. Just one more—

Suddenly, a scent he knew almost as well as his own drifted into his awareness, and his predatory crouch became stiff and rigid with worry and confusion.

Confusion, because it was rare that Mei even opened his eyes before the sun was well above the horizon. Worry, because Mei was, quite obviously, out on his own, without the safety of himself or a herd, and they hadn't had proper time to identify potential threats in their new home. They'd only been in the new forest a month, after all. Further confusion because the scent was strange this morning. Rather than the usual clean clover, it was as if it was… buried? In dirt? At this point in their relationship, the scent was no longer appetizing to him, but was appealing in its familiarity.

His favorite smell had been tampered with, and he wasn't entirely pleased.

Face set in a mask of bewilderment, Gabu maintained his crouch, slinking in the long morning shadows to flank the scent with the skill of a practiced hunter. The scent wafted from behind one of the larger trees in the area, but why?

As he moved closer, he could hear the heavy breathing of the small goat, hear his rapid heartbeat. Mei was nervous, it seemed, and Gabu was going to find out why.

He took another breath of air into his nostrils, and could identify no immediate danger. He could scent a particularly sleepy rabbit, awake no doubt to admire the early sunshine, perfectly unaware—

He shook his head, focusing on the problem at hand. He could eat later.

From years of hunting animals with senses far inferior to his own, Gabu was able to successfully skirt around the field of Mei's awareness, now approaching the scent from behind. Dirt and fresh clover assaulted his nose, and he frowned once more. Mei made a point of keeping himself impeccably groomed. It was one of his more endearing habits.

By now he could see those small horns through the tall waving grass, facing away from him. Why was Mei hiding behind a tree? As he approached on silent feet, he could see the snowy coat his friend usually sported was absolutely slathered in thick mud.

And his confusion grew by the moment.

He closed in, coming within a few feet of his friend, and stood up, attempting to see what it was Mei was looking for. Unable to determine it, he tried to ask his question without frightening the goat too severely.

"Mei, what are you doing?"

With a high pitched (not cute, not cute, _not cute-)_ squeak, the small goat spun to face Gabu, one hoof to his heart, pressing himself against the tree that was now behind him. His blue eyes were wide, thrown into stark contrast by the black dirt coating his face.

"Gabu! G-Good morning! I didn't see you—"

"And why are you so dirty? I almost couldn't tell it was you under all that mud. What happened?"

With each question the wolf took another step forward, and Mei pressed himself even tighter into the bark behind him. "I-I was just walking, and I slipped—"

Concern slithered through his stomach. "You fell? Are you hurt?" He reached for his friend's shoulder, "Let me see—"

His friend side stepped the paw that reached for him, shaking his head rapidly. "No, I'm fine, just got a lot of mud on me, don't worry." And his eyes flickered about, wide blue refusing to meet slowly-growing-suspicious yellow.

Gabu knew a liar when he saw one, but the question was, why wasn't Mei telling him the truth?

"You know, it hasn't rained in a week or so… You must have gone for quite some walk to find thick mud like that."

The goat waved his hooves, "Oh, you know me, clumsy to a fault, just my luck—"

"And you must have taken quite a tumble to get it absolutely everywhere," Gabu stroked his chin in mock thought. "Are you sure you aren't injured?"

He could see the relief flood through thin white shoulders. "Yes, I promise, I'm fine, no injuries!"

Hands now resting firmly on his hips, Gabu fixed Mei with the sternest look he could muster (which was pretty stern when you were more than triple your target's size). "Mei. I know you aren't being honest. Tell me the truth—why are you walking around the woods coated in mud? Before the sun has even fully risen no less?"

Shoulders that had just slumped in relief slumped further in defeat. A heavy sigh escaped from a bent head, and he stared only at his hoof scuffing the dirt.

"Mei…" Gabu shifted to loom over his friend, who shrugged in response.

"I was… following you…" he muttered.

Gabu shook his head, the answer having not even crossed his mind. He fell back onto his haunches, no longer standing. "You were… what? Why would you do that?"

Those big eyes peeked at him through lashes weighed down with muck. "I didn't think you'd ever agree to me coming with you when you hunted…"

The air left his lungs in a rush, eyes widened in shock. He scratched the back of his head with one large paw. "Mei, of course I'd never agree to that! Why would you want to… see that? That's… that's not… You've never…"

Suddenly the little goat stood up straight, looking his friend right in the eye, puffing out his chest. "You're my friend. My very best friend. My… my only friend." At this he deflated just a bit, but quickly regained his sudden burst of confidence. "And as my friend, it's important that I accept everything you are. I know that… it's not really your choice, eating other things, and that you have to, and I just… I feel it's important that I… Learn to be ok with that."

After a few moments of silence, during which Mei started to fidget, Gabu looked his friend up and down, eyebrow raised. "Alright, I understand that bit, and I do appreciate it… but that doesn't really explain why you're so dirty."

At this, Mei ducked his head, and perhaps a hint of pink could be seen on his cheeks through the dirt. "I-I remember you saying that water and mud made it hard to smell things… So I thought, if I was all dirty like this, you might not… Smell me."

Yellow eyes widened, and a few more moments of silence passed between them, after which Gabu threw his head back and gave a loud guffaw. The pink deepened to a rose, and a small frown puckered between Mei's eyebrows. "T-That's what you said… what's so funny?"

At his friend's insecurity, he granted him with an affectionate smile. "Nothing really, Mei, it's just… touching, to see that you went to such lengths to spy on me."

"S-Spy on you?!" he spluttered, "I-It wasn't exactly _spying_ , I just knew you wouldn't-! I was trying to-!"

Gabu waved his stuttering defense off. "I know what you were trying to do, and it's appreciated, I promise. But maybe we can find better ways to show our acceptance of our differences in the future, ok?"

He received a sheepish nod in response.

"Good!" He stood once more, rubbing his paws together. "Now why don't you and I head back to the den, eh? We can nap until the sun is fully up, then we can head to that berry patch you're so fond of."

Mei dazzled him with a smile and nodded, trotting beside the large wolf happily. With a smile of his own, and a subtle eye roll, Gabu led the way home, the absolutely filthy goat by his side.  
***************************************

It seemed a nap was in neither of their futures.

After all, how could Gabu be expected to sleep when there was a source of so much entertainment right in front of him?

Mei, of course, could never rest easy with his coat so thick and heavy with dirt. He had managed to remove what had been on his forearms, sides, and rear well enough, but it was _everywhere_. No goat had ever been meant to bend in the ways Mei was attempting to. The poor thing was panting with the effort of removing all the gunk, and Gabu did his best to hide his snickers and chuckles behind his paws.

Apparently not well enough, as Mei shot him a glare.

"I'd like to see how well _you'd_ handle this mess, oh mighty wolf," he muttered in between licks to his coat.

"Why don't we just head down to the pond? Then you can rinse the dirt off."

"It hasn't rained in a while, and I would feel bad using the water for something so silly," he huffed, plopping to the floor and resting his head on his arms. "I suppose I'll just have to wait until it rains next. I guess I sort of deserve it, doing something so ridiculous, huh?"

Gabu frowned. He knew how much being dirty bothered the poor goat, and as he took in the sad scene, he made up his mind.

He sat up, gathering the mess into his arms.

"Wha-?!" Mei yelped as large paws lifted him. Before he could orient himself, he felt the rough surface of an especially large tongue run through the fur atop his head. "Gabu, what are you-?!" His words were cut off as the tongue rubbed at the dirt on one of his cheeks. "Really, this isn't necessary-!"

"Mei," Gabu chastised, "just let me help, alright? Relax—I ain't gonna hurt you."

At this, Mei's mouth snapped shut, and Gabu grunted in approval as he continued grooming.

The removal of the dirt revealed cheeks heavy with blush as Mei sat stiffly in his friend's lap, unsure of what he should do. The grooming was pleasant, sure, but… This was _Gabu!_ The two were as close as anyone could be, but this was a brand new dynamic to their relationship.

And it was just so darn _intimate!_

Without his permission, Mei could feel his muscles begin to relax as the wolf's tongue sorted through his matted, dirty fur. He could feel himself becoming cleaner with each lick and nibble, and it was such a good feeling… He sighed in almost-content, his eyes falling half closed.

Gabu would shift the small bundle every so often to reach all of the dirt, and it was almost comforting to fall into the role of caretaker. He had never had anyone to take care of, or to take care of him, and he was finding this new role suit him well. He was careful not to pull the fur too harshly, for fear of hurting his delicate charge.

As he groomed, he took time to think. He knew how much Mei hated to feel unclean, and yet he had covered himself in the thickest mud Gabu had ever seen for _him_. All because he wanted Gabu to know that he was accepted, that he didn't blame him for being a predator.

That despite everything, Mei… loved him?

At the thought, Gabu held Mei just a bit tighter, arms wrapping just a bit more protectively around the small goat, which was rewarded with a small hum of appreciation.

After nearly an hour of nothing but the rasp of Gabu's tongue against Mei's fur, the wolf's voice seemed akin to thunder when he spoke. "All clean now, not a speck of mud on ya."

When the now white bundle in his lap didn't respond, Gabu leaned closer. "Mei…?"

Upon seeing his face, Gabu smiled. He had fallen asleep, right here in his lap!

"I knew you weren't for being up this early…" he chuckled quietly, gathering the goat close once more. He leaned his head back against the den wall, closing his eyes for a quick nap.

When Mei awoke, it was to a warmth he wasn't entirely accustomed to. He felt strong arms around him, and it was so warm…

Sleepy blues looked up, forgetting in his sleep what had transpired before. Those eyes widened momentarily as they took in Gabu, holding him so closely in his own sleep. Then he relaxed with a small smile. Nuzzling his head into Gabu's arms once more, he determined he wouldn't leave, would never leave, until he was asked.

The blackberries were particularly sweet this time of year, and it was one of the few foods the two could share an appreciation for. It was no field of clover, or deer carcass, but they could both appreciate a sweet juicy blackberry on a particularly fine early autumn afternoon.

They talked, joked, and even played a bit in that berry patch, spending the afternoon munching and snacking to their hearts' content, simply enjoying each other's company.

What had occurred earlier in their den had only proven to strengthen their unusual bond, and it showed in their more frequent touches and large smiles.

Finally, once they were both stuffed with the yummy fruit, they prepared to return home to watch the moon rise, as was their custom.

Glancing at Gabu's muzzle, Mei giggled lightly. "You're so messy, Gabu, you have berry juice all over your snout."

The wolf, in response, crossed his eyes comically, drawing a laugh from his friend. "Why, it seems like you're right, Mei. Can't have that, it'll stain my fur." That large tongue flicked out, removing most of the deep purple liquid, but missed a small patch at the very center of his snout.

Rolling his eyes affectionately, Mei stepped forward. "Here, let me see."

Gabu's eyes widened in curiosity as he lowered his head, close enough to the ground that Mei could reach. His own small tongue flicked out, lightly brushing Gabu's muzzle. A light pink blossomed across it as soon as Mei stepped back, smiling up at the bewildered face before him.

He released another small laugh, and began to walk back towards their home. "Well, are you going to just stand there, you silly wolf? If we don't hurry, we might miss the moonrise!"

And with a shake of his head and a massive grin on his face, Gabu bounded after Mei, eager to share another moonrise.


End file.
